Matchday two of the Champions League league phase brings Villarreal and Napoli back together at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Tuesday, 13 October, with the Spanish side seeking their first points after defeat at Borussia Dortmund and Napoli arriving for a meeting between two clubs separated by a decade since their last encounter.
What the night decided
Villarreal’s first home European night of the campaign comes with an early opportunity to turn improving domestic performances into continental momentum. The Yellow Submarine did not win a match in last season’s disappointing Champions League run, and they now face Napoli knowing that another setback would leave them chasing the early pace.
Íñigo Pérez has urged his side to keep perspective rather than allow the occasion to become a burden. “Mentality is fundamental and that anxiety must not appear tomorrow,” he said.
Asked about the need to open Villarreal’s account following the Dortmund loss, Pérez rejected the idea that either club was already under pressure. He said it was too early, in the second matchday, to describe their form as a negative trend and that there was no urgency for either team.
Napoli have the better Champions League record in this particular fixture. The clubs have met six times: Villarreal won two and drew two of their four Europa League contests, while Napoli won both of their previous Champions League meetings.
Teams, absences and officials
Villarreal will be without Pépé and Buchanan because of injuries, while Gulacsi is absent at short notice after being the victim of a robbery. Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri cannot call on Olivera, Favasuli, Anguissa, Alisson Santos or Vergara because of physical problems.
Daniel Siebert of Germany will referee the match, with fellow German Sören Storks operating as the VAR official.
Villarreal starting team
Luiz Júnior; Mouriño, Pau Navarro, Renato Veiga, Carlos Romero; Comesaña, Saliba, Gueye, Moleiro; Gerard Moreno (captain), Mikautadze.
Substitutes: Rubén Gómez, Logan Costa, Freeman, Foyth, Cardona, Alassane, Carlos Maciá, Ilias Akhomach, Nizar, Ayoze, Oluwaseyi, J. Gaitán.
Napoli starting team
Milinkovic-Savic; Rrahmani, Rafa Marín, Badiashile; Politano, Gilmour, McTominay, Di Lorenzo (captain); Giovane, De Bruyne; Hojlund.
Substitutes: Meret, Contini, Beukema, Spinazzola, Lobotka, Neres, Noa Lang, Lucca.
The setting in Villarreal
The match kicks off at 21:00 at the Estadio de la Cerámica, where a strong crowd is expected at a ground with a capacity of around 23,000. The Champions League anthem returns to Villarreal after months away, with Napoli providing a demanding test of whether Pérez’s side can translate their recent progress into a result that changes the shape of their European week.
